End of life care strategy: promoting high quality care for all adults at the end of life: executive summary

The End of Life Care Strategy promotes high quality care for all adults approaching the end of life in England. Its aim is to provide people approaching the end of life with more choice about where they would like to live and die. It encompasses all adults with advanced, progressive illness and care given in all settings. It recommends a care pathway involving the following steps: identification of people approaching the end of life and initiating discussions about preferences for end of life care; care planning which includes assessing needs and preferences, agreeing a care plan to reflect these and reviewing these regularly; coordination of care; delivery of high quality services in all locations; management of the last days of life; care after death; and support for carers, both during a person’s illness and after their death. Ensuring that health and social care staff at all levels have the necessary knowledge, skills and attitudes related to care for the dying will be critical to the success of improving end of life care.